The Row / Pre-Fall 2011

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There’s an elusive cool swirling around every collection by The Row. It’s in the louche, draped sweaters, pre-stretched T-shirts and generously cut men’s tailored suits carried over from one season to the next and no less prevalent this pre-fall. But where once they transcended decades and opted for safe homogenous looks, this season Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen deviated slightly from that course.

“We looked at old images of Bianca Jagger,” explains Mary-Kate Olsen of the duo’s starting point. “So there’s a bit of a seventies vibe.” And while their ivory silk pinstripe wide-leg pajama suit, rich silk-tunic tops and caramel cashmere shift worn over boot-leg pants attest to this, they also fall in step with the mood of the season. Having bypassed the disco fever adopted by many designers for spring, the pair give a subtle nod to an alternative, more sophisticated Jagger-inspired silhouette, while also touching on pre-fall’s burgeoning penchant for light layering. Keeping within the boundaries of their laid-back aesthetic, and runway trends, they offer consumers a feeling, rather than a dictation—no small feat for a celebrity brand.

“We had a lot of fun with skins and fur,” says Ashley Olsen, caressing a forest-green alligator zip-up jacket with ragged, peplum hem that she cites as her favorite. Meanwhile, Mary-Kate Olsen points out a silk T-shirt with a Peter Pan collar done in fish skin. “It’s so soft, and it’s salmon—you can eat it, so it’s a good thing!”

Three years in and devoid of outer labels, logos, or other ostentation, the brand’s real standout factor still lies in its curious anonymity, which feels deliberate coming from a design duo so used to the limelight.